1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a virtual slide generation device for generating a so-called virtual slide by patching and combining microscopic images shot and picked up with high magnification, its virtual slide generation method and its virtual slide generation program product, and more particularly to a virtual slide generation device capable of rapidly generating a high-quality virtual slide, its virtual slide generation method, a virtual slide generation program product and a virtual slide generation program transmission medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditionally, when observing an observation object using a microscope, a range covered at one glance (observation range) is mainly determined by the magnification of an object lens. In this case, if an object lens with high magnification is used, its observation range is restricted to only a part of an observation object. However, the pathological examination of a cell, a texture and the like requires the whole image of an observation object in order to prevent the oversight of an examination point.
With the development of the information processing technique, the digitalization of images is promoted in such a pathological examination and as to a microscopic observation image which is shot and picked up via a video camera, high resolution almost equal to a traditional silver salt film is required.
In order to realize these requirements, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. H9-281405 or 2002-514319 discloses a system for re-organizing the image of an observation object by dividing the mage of the observation object into small sections and shooting and picking up the part of the observation object, corresponding to each small section by an object lens with high resolution and patching and combining the microscopic images of each small obtained section. By using such a so-called virtual microscope system, an observation object can be observed by a microscope even in an environment where no observation object actually exists. By using the image processing technique, the following observation can be conducted in the same way as an act of actually observing an observation object.
Specifically, firstly, at the time of low-magnification observation a wide-angle image can be provided, for example, by compressing and displaying a patched and combined microscopic image. Whereas at the time of high-magnification observation high resolution can be provided by displaying a partial image shot and picked up for each small section. The display range of a microscopic image in display can be moved in accordance with an X-Y direction operation (moving operation in the horizontal direction on a plane perpendicular to the optic axis) by an observer.
In such a system an observation object can be examined any time. By sharing the image data of a microscopic image with a plurality of examiners, the plurality of examiners can simultaneously observe the different parts of the same observation object even when the plurality of examiners exists in different places.
When actually observing an observation object while applying the X-Y direction operation to it, focus deviation caused due to the inclination of the observation object and the like must be corrected. However, in the above-described system, since observation can be continued in the always focused state, observation efficiency can be improved, observation oversight due to focus deviation can be reduced, thereby increasing the reliability of an examination by that degree.
For example, when training pathological examiners, traditionally, a plurality of the same observation objects must be prepared in order to conduct practical observation training. However, according to the above-described system, since image data can be shared, training can be conducted using the same observation object image.
Furthermore, in the case of an actual observation object sealed into a piece of slide glass when it discolors or is broken, it is very difficult to restore it. However, since image data can be backed up, in the above-described system an observation object can be observed in the same state any time in any place.
As described above, the virtual microscope system is efficient and highly accurate compared with microscopic observation using an actual observation object, thereby having higher reliability.